Photos and the City

Tag: travel

  • Glasgow – The West End

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rain

    After arriving with the Caledonian Sleeper early in the morning I started my walk around Glasgow with The West End and started into my holiday with breakfast at Kember & Jones. There are so many lovely cafés and restaurants that it was hard to decide, but it was possible the smell of freshly baked bread and the cozy interior that brought me in.

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainRefreshed and filled with coffee and avocado it was time to explore the West End. Glasgow started to wake up and I wasn´t the only one on the streets anylonger. From vintages stores to cafés and bookshops to fancy delis – the West End is fun and colourful. And don´t forget those hidden little lanes that open up to more discoveries.

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    And suddenly I was standing in front of the Botanic Gardens. Created in 1817 and run by the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow. The big glasshouse, know as The Kibble Palace, covers 2137 m2.   Originally designed for the home of John Kibble at Loch Long in the 1860ies. Brought up via the River Clyde it was erected in the Gardens in 1873.

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainglasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainglasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainEve by Scipione Tadolini

    I made my way back down in direction of the city center via the Glasgow University. Catch a first glimpse of the University below.

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rain

    Located on Gilmorehill the University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the english-speaking world and was founded in 1451 and relocated to Gilmorehill in the West End in 1870.

    Glasgow originally educated students primarily from wealthy backgrounds, however it became a pioneer in British higher education in the 19th century by also providing for the needs of students from the growing urban and commercial middle class. Glasgow University served all of these students by preparing them for professions: the law, medicine, civil service, teaching, and the church. It also trained smaller but growing numbers for careers in science and engineering. (University of Glasgow)

    The Campus was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style and it´s said that it had inspired the look of Hogwarts for J.K.Rowling.

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    To be a student again and spend the rainy afternoon sitting behind one of those windows just reading (and watching people passing by).

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainglasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainglasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rainView towards the Kelvingrove Art Museum.

    Through the adjoint  Kelvingrove Park I continued my walk towards the innercity. The park was created in 1852 by the well known gardener Sir Joseph Paxton and was open for the public right from the beginning. The City Council had bought the estate for recreation purposes for the middle class. Today the park seems to be a favourite place for walking dogs, I met so many cute and playful ones (even so it was raining cats and dogs at that time..)

    glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rain glasgow, west end, scotland, uk, travel, ursula schmitz, destination photography, rain

    And as it was raining cats and dogs it was about time for a little brake for tea and I chose the supercozy Hidden Lane Tearoom in a hidden lane which was surprisingly colourful and fun.

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    Next stop: my Airbnb near the Central Station to freshen up and have a little nap.

     

  • Fàilte!

    A day spent starring at baby seals is a day well spent!

    Hello from Scotland!

    oban, scotland, highlands, bay of oban, seal, baby, ocean, uk, cute

    This little guy was my favourite, he/she was a poser.

    oban, scotland, highlands, bay of oban, seal, baby, ocean, uk, cute

  • Südbahnhotel Semmering

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    Last week Kultursommer Semmering and the Instagramers Austria organised a trip to Semmering to visit the Kulturhaus, one of the venues of this years festival. I was lucky enough to get hold of the tickets and to spent one lovely day in Semmering.

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    “One of the venues” – when we arrived there was a lovely surprise – some days prior the owner of the Südbahnhotel decided to open it again and let the Kultursommer use it as a stage after it had been shut off for the last seven years.

    Whenever I´m passing Semmering by train, I just wish to stop and explore these amazing grande hotels, that have been left alone so many years ago and finally I got a little glimpse of them!

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    With the “Sommerfrische” getting more and more popular and common, the need or the wish for a railway to Semmering got bigger and “16 viaducts, 15 tunnels, 129 bridges and 142 special structures” were built. Semmering became a popular health resort, which it remains to this day.

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    The original Suedbahnhotel Semmering (also called “Hotel Semmering” or “First Suedbahnhotel”) was the 1st Hotel am Semmering at all and was opened in 1882 at the foot of Pinkenkogel Mountain–at precisely 1000 m above sea level. The Suedbahnhotel am Semmering was one of several grand hotels along the Suedbahn route from Vienna to Triest which were commissioned in order to stimulate the tourism in the respective regions and also the Suedbahn route from the privileged K. u. k. Suedbahngesellschaft. (Südbahnhotel-Semmering)

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    It was a juwel of the Fin de Siècle – many artists, poets, writers, socialites and nobles stayed there:

    A brief extract of prominent guests of the Suedbahnhotel:

    Erzherzog Albrecht, Eduard Ritter von Engerth (Teacher, Director of galeries, Art Writer and Artist of portraits of the imperial family as well  the gentry, Designer of the wall decoration of the Imperial loge in the Vienna State Opera House), Princess Maria of Greece with her family, His Royal Highness Prince and Princess Elmer von Lonyay, Graf Dubsky, Ida von Ferenczy (Sternkreuz – Orden lady and longtime confidante of Empress Elisabeth), Baron Franz Kubinsky, Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud, Queen Maria of Rumania as well relevant artists like:  Gustav Mahler (Director of the Viennese Imperial Opera House) with his wife Alma Mahler, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Friedell, Peter Altenberg, Adolf Loos with his wife Lina, Franz Werfel, Gerhard Hauptmann, Otto Zarek, Hans von Huelsen, Adrienne Gessner (Actress at the Viennese Burg-Theatre), Kolo Moser (Co-founder of the Viennese Secession and the Wiener Werkstaette resp. Vienna’s Workshops), Karl Kraus and many many more… (Südbahnhotel-Semmering)

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    The First Südbahnhotel was a huge success and was soon expanded with various extentions: Waldhof (with cheaper rooms), Zweites Südbahnhotel (“Palasthotel”), a Post- and Telegraphstation, a cinema, several restaurants and pubs, an indoor pool. There were around 400 rooms in whole the complex.

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    The reception area was renovated in the early 1930ies and even an American Bar opened. The design was developed by Hoppe and Schönthal.

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering
    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering     südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    During World War II the hotel became a military hospital. Even so it opened up for business again after the war had endend its golden age was gone. At the end of the 1960ies the hotel was slowly closed down and the “First Südbahnhotel” (the oldest part) was adapted to private apartments.

    The “Zweites Südbahnhotel” changed the owner some times, once it was supposed to be renovated and become a private clinic but nothing has happened so far. Thanks to a new roof the building is still in a good condition and it is waiting for someone to wake it up again.

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering südbahnhotel, semmering, lost place, niederösterreich, austria, sommerfrische, igersaustria, kultursommer semmering

    From 2000 to 2010 the Festspiele Reichenau used the hotel as a venue, after that it was closed down until two weeks ago, when the current owner decided to let the Kultursommer Semmering use for this years festival.

    And what an amazing place it is:

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    Visit Kultursommer Semmering to find out more about the events.

    Thanks for having us, hopefully we´ll be able to explore more of this amazing place some other time!

    Visit thepresse.com for some historic images!